In the field of agricultural irrigation, traveling sprinklers are well known including those that move in a circular path around a center pivot, and those which traverse fields on linear paths, the latter type of sprinkler being known in the art as a "side-walking" sprinkler. The present invention relates to improvements in this latter type of irrigation apparatus.
In the prior art, side-walking sprinklers are propelled by various means, hydraulic wheel motors operated by water pressure being one mode of operation. Generally speaking, such motive means are quite costly and require a certain degree of water pressure not always available without costly booster pumps and other complications.
The objective of this invention is to provide a sidewalking irrigator or sprinkler for crops which is quite simplified and economical in construction compared to the prior art, and in which the several wheeled supporting towers of the apparatus are driven by electric motors which are powered in proper sequence from an engine driven generator on a prime mover steerable wheeled tower which also carries an electric motor driven winch and winch cable for pulling the prime mover tower on a linear path across a field. The irrigation water supply for the system is delivered through a hose coupled to the prime mover tower and from this hose to an overhead horizontal irrigation conduit common to and supported by the several towers and having a suitable number of sprinkler heads or nozzles mounted thereon at spaced intervals.
A very important aspect of the invention involves a plurality of control switches for the electric motors of the wheeled towers which are under control of a cable or wire and an associated spring-urged crank element on the main or prime mover tower. This arrangement causes controlled operation of the several electric drive motors in such a way that the intermediate and end towers follow the linear path of movement initiated by the main or prime mover tower which is also the irrigation water inlet tower.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the following detailed description.
To comply with the duty to disclose known prior art under 37 C.F.R. 1.56, the following United States patents are made of record herein:
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